Sailing and Boating

Randy Bogardus -- 50 years of wave riding, shaping wooden surf craft

In Episode 45 we speak with Randy Bogardus, a man of the ocean who leverages his 50 years of wave riding in his design and development of wooden surf boards and paddle boards. Randy takes us through his youth on the rugged Oregon coast to years of surfing and sailing the world in pursuit of his passion for waves. We hear of Randy’s first wooden craft project as a youth building a sailboat with his family to building and sailing his own boat and ultimately building wooden surfboards and paddle board kits for his Clearwood Paddleboards company. We hear Randy’s great perspective on riding different wave craft to stay healthy and in the water for over 50 years — something that can be inspirational to us all.

Thanks for sharing Randy’s ocean life with us. You can find pictures and video of Randy and his wooden boards on his Instagram page and website.

Cooper Family - Sailing the South Pacific (Pt 1)

In Episode 44 we share part 1 of multiple episodes with the Cooper Family who left their life in Santa Cruz to sail the South Pacific for 2 years. We hear from both Brian and Robyn Cooper about their 6-year path leading up to today where they are days away boarding a plane for Fiji with their young daughters where their new home, a 45 foot sailing ketch, waits for them on the water. We hear of Brian’s background with boats, fishing, and surfing that generated his approach to this new life on a boat and the unlimited challenges he expects to face. Robyn shares her story of having the lifelong dream to live full-time on a boat in tropical waters, her approach to learn sailing, and the logistics that goes into planning and packing for a family of four. We will plan to speak again with the Coopers in mid-2019 to hear how their trip has gone and how their own perspective on family life, sailing, and living aboard may have changed.

Thanks for sharing Brian and Robyn’s ocean life with us. You can find pictures and video of them on Facebook.

Mike Baxter — Fisherman, Steward, Man of the Water

In Episode 41 we speak with Mike Baxter, a man who has spent a lifetime with a passion for pursuing fish. Mike shares his stories of growing up on the boats of his commercial fishing father in the rugged waters of Northern California and developing his skills at rigging gear and reading water. We hear of Mike’s commitment to learning the patterns of the fish and his appreciation for those who came before him on the water that relied on relatively basic tools for fishing compared to the technology we all enjoy today. Mike shares a great perspective on the idea of ‘sportsmanship’ in fishing and the effort he puts in with the Monterey Bay Salmon and Trout Project to help preserve Central California’s salmon population for everybody to enjoy.

Al Ramadan - Surfer, Sailor, Technologist, Entrepreneur

In Episode 39 we speak with Al Ramadan, a man from Australia who has built an amazing life at the intersection of ocean and technology. Al shares his stories of growing up in Australia and finding his love of surfing and sailing while developing his skill for math and data. We hear the story of Al bringing technology to the America’s Cup sailing race and building his own company while learning the ins and outs of surfing (and lots of paddling!!) at the legendary Ocean Beach in San Francisco, California. Al shares stories of surfing and sailing in locations around the world, dedicating his time and energy into the Save The Waves Coalition, and talking about the amazing people who have been part of his journey.

Thanks for sharing Al’s ocean life with us. You can find pictures and video of him on Instagram and Facebook pages. Also learn more about how you can get involved with Save The Waves.

Ryan Levinson and An Adaptive Life in the Water

In Episode 30 we speak with Ryan Levinson, a legend in the water who reached incredible levels of success beyond what most of us would dream about — all while battling Muscular Dystrophy (MD). Ryan shares his story of being diagnosed with MD and the path he set for himself to push beyond any limits in the ocean as member of US Sailing Team, scuba instructor, director of EMS/Rescue for the Big Wave World Tour, kiteboarder, and more. Ryan shares an inspiring and positive perspective on adopting new ocean activities as his MD progressed, continually finding solace and flow in the ocean, and living in the Tahitian waters on his sailboat. I’m humbled to have had Ryan spend time with me and am beyond inspired by him — you will be too.

Leane Horton and Changing the Tides

In Episode 25 we speak with Leane Horton, an amazing woman who has built an incredibly rich life in the ocean. Leane shares her stories of competitive paddleboarding in Molokai 2 Oahu (5x) and as a member of Team Hawai’i in the ISA World Championships (3x). Leane recounts her tales of buying sailboat Valkyrie with her husband and sailing from Mexico to French Polynesia where she makes repeat trips to explore each year. As a co-founder of the Changing Tides Foundation, Leane also provides perspective on giving back to the locations and people we visit on our travels and empowering women to participate fully in their own ocean lives.

The Rice Family and Living on the Sea

In Episode 24 we speak with Sara Rice, mother and wife of the Rice family who sold it all to live life sailing the world on their boat, Catalpa. Sara shares with us what life for a family of four sailing through Indonesia is like day to day as they surf, spearfish, scuba dive, fish, and maintain their home aboard sailboat Catalpa. We hear of empty waves, gracious locals, storms, natural beauty, and raising two children at sea to give us a close perspective on what it’s like to live on the ocean (my own personal dream!).

Nick Dana and Challenging the World's Oceans

In episode 21 we speak with Nick Dana, a professional sailor who has competed multiple years in the most legendary of world-class races — the Volvo Ocean Challenge. Nick shares his stories of competing in this round-the-world, multi-month event and pushing his physical and mental limits in the harshest ocean conditions on earth, including Cape Horn. We hear how Nick grew up in the ocean of New England and quickly carved out a place for himself within the ranks of the best sailors in the world to build an incredible sailing career. If you want to hear what it’s like to sail in a storm in the Southern Ocean at night you will want to listen…

Madelon Ruizendaal-Pilaar and The Waters of Holland

In Episode 19 we speak with Madelon Ruizendaal-Pilaar, an ocean woman from Holland who has built both her personal and professional life around the ocean. Madelon shares her stories growing up on the Dutch coast, finding windsurfing, opening a surf shop on the North Sea, and traveling the world in pursuit of surf and wind. We hear her unique perspective on the water culture of Holland and continuing to grow a successful business in the water sports industry while enjoying all things ocean with her family.

Lincoln Dews and a Life of Competitive Success

In Episode #9 of This Ocean Life podcast we speak with Lincoln Dews, a lifelong man of the water who grew up on the Gold Coast of Australia loving the ocean and pushing his limits from an early age. Lincoln shares stories growing up in an ocean-focused family, winning a youth state ironman championship, stepping on a SUP for the first time, and completing his first solo Molokai channel crossing at age 15 (!!). Lincoln’s perspective on a life of pursuing new challenges in the ocean from sailing, SUP, prone paddling, foiling, surf lifesaving, and more is really fun and inspirational. Today, as a top professional on the world SUP tour, Lincoln talks about his focus on pursuing a championship, training the next generation of ocean athletes, and continuing to develop his own education.

Episode Categories

Subscribe to the Podcast!

Fishing, diving, surfing, paddling, spearfishing, sailing, anything in the ocean. This Ocean Life is a weekly podcast series capturing the stories and life times of people around the world who have based their lives on the ocean. Hosted by Josh Pederson / @surfpaddletailgate.